the emotional day in court vanessa bryant, the wife of kobe bryant, breaking down on the stand, describing her pain after first responders leaked photos of the helicopter crash that killed the nba legend and their daughter after a summer of travel chaos, the department of transportation cracking down. our exclusive with secretary pete buttigieg, the ultimatum he's giving the airlines ahead of labor day. danger in the water. two shark attacks at the same beach on the same day and uniting for ukraine. the music with a message "inspiring america. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt good evening we are reminded again tonight just how high the stakes are in the war in ukraine as focus turns to the state of the ukrainian nuclear power plant now in the hands of russian forces ukraine officials making some pretty disturbing claims of what they say are russian intentions at

the plant. that potentially risk a radiation spewing nuclear accident one ukrainian energy expert calling it madness, absolute madness. the latest satellite images of the plant reveal no obvious signs of damage from fighting the war shifting on multiple fronts tonight. ukrainian backed guerillas stepping up their attacks inside russian held regions and even inside russia itself tonight, with a new $775 million american military aid package soon on its way, ukraine's president zelenskyy thanking president biden and tweeting ukraine will be free. meagan fitzgerald has the latest now from ukraine. >> reporter: tonight fears of a nuclear catastrophe are at europe's largest plant in zaporizhzhia, ukraine, are intensifying >> the united states is deeply concerned. >> reporter: russia has been occupying the facility in ukraine's east since the start of the war now ukraine is warning

that russia may take the plant off the electrical grid, a precarious move that energy experts say raises the risk of a nuclear accident, sending radioactive material across europe >> now there they have some war machines an they have explosive materials and they have shells and it is madness, absolute madness. >> reporter: the power company that manages the plant says the russians are already moving to shut it down, which would deny the country a key energy source. saying the russian military is looking for fuel to power generators, to keep the reactors cool. >> the most dangerous status of reactor is when they move it from the operations to cooling mode >> reporter: this all comes as the u.n. secretary-general is in ukraine meeting with president zelenskyy. >> any potential damage to zaporizhzhia is suicide >> reporter: the u.n. chief calling on international inspectors to go inside the plant immediately. echoed in a call today by the president of france to vladimir

putin who said he's open to inspectors but earlier today a russian official said the visit may not happen until september. president zelenskyy has repeatedly warned that may be too late meanwhile, there are new signs that ukraine is on the offensive. strikes hit russian controlled crimea twice in a week taking out military jets and destroying ammunition depots a ukrainian government official confirmed to nbc news that rones. lester >> meagan fitzgerald in kyiv, thank you he was a member of the brutal isis cell known as the beatles

today a federal judge in virginia sentenced el shafee elsheikh to life in priso for his role in the killing of four american hostages in syria. they were journalists james foley and steven sotloff. and two humanitarian workers, peter kassig and kayla mueller. a deepening divide tonight between donald trump and former vice president mike pence over the fbi agents who carried ought the search at mr. trump's florida home kelly o'donnell now with the latest. >> reporter: tonight, visiting the iowa state fair mike pence defended law enforcement amid an angry fallout over the mar-a-lago search. >> we can demand that they reveal why the search warrant was executed against the residence of a former president of the united states without demeaning the rank and file of men and women of the fbi and i'm going to continue to be a voice for that >> reporter: pence did not answer questions about criticism of the fbi coming from former president trump who blasted these accusations tonight.

the atrocities being perpetrated by the fbi and doj, they have no shame. they are destroying our country. mr. trump's allies have repeatedly dangled a possible video release to show what happened inside the estate during the search a trump attorney says that should be made public >> i would love for the country to see what i saw from those cameras. >> reporter: but today a department of justice official told me they urge those with access to video taken during the mar-a-lago search to use caution. if video is provided that it obscures the faces and identifying information of law enforcement personnel. lester >> all right kelly, thank you emotional testimony by vanessa bryant, kobe bryant's widow, in her lawsuit against los angeles county bryant says she suffered emotional distress after crash photos of her husband were taken and then shared personally among first responders here's miguel almaguer >> reporter: braving

the cameras on the eighth day of trial vanessa bryant stayed composed entering the courthouse but today after taking the stand for the first time kobe bryant's widow broke down when asked about the circulation of crash site photos showing the charred remains of her husband and their 13-year-old daughter, gigi i felt blind-sided, devastated, hurt, and betrayed, said bryant, fighting through tears she continued. i live in fear every day of seeing on social media and having these images pop up >> one chopper down with medium brush. >> reporter: bryant and another family are suing los angeles county after first responders took or shared photos of the 2020 crash site for personal use circulated on cellphones, testimony showed the pictures were shared at bars and even a banquet by firefighters and sheriff's deputies i trusted them i trusted them not to do these things, said a sobbing bryant, saying after the photo leak i have two

choices, to try and live my life or end it >> we love and miss you, boo-boo and gigi. >> reporter: just days after this tearful memorial where bryant spoke of her loss, the l.a. sheriff said he ordered deputies to delete photos taken at the calabasas hill side here at court the county defense team is arguing the pictures never became public and could not have caused vanessa bryant to suffer emotional distress now a jury will soon decide if bryant was victimized by the very people who were called there to help. miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. now to an nbc news exclusive. after a summer of airline meltdowns the transportation department is warning airlines to improve their customer service policies or the government will order changes to compensate passengers for delays or cancellations here's tom costello. >> reporter: after receiving billions in taxpayer support

during the pandemic the nation's airlines are tonight under intense pressure improve their customer service or the government could soon impose tough new passenger rights transportation secretary pete buttigieg. so now you're kind of laying down the law for the airlines they can either pony up on their own or you're going to enforce this for them. >> that's right. i'm giving them an opportunity right now. we can do more rule makings and even more enforcement. >> repor in a letter to airline ceos buttigieg writes the level of disruption americans have experienced this summer is unacceptable since memorial day weekend, 23% of u.s. flights delayed an average of 52 minutes. 2.2% of flights canceled, most in june contributing factors weather and air-traffic control problems, but the faa insists airlines get most of the blame for booking passengers on flights they didn't have the pilots for. now the d.o.t. wants airlines to provide refunds if a domestic flight is changed or delayed more than three hours, hotel accommodations for

overnight delays and with confusing airline rules on refunds and voucher policies the d.o.t. will roll out a new website labor day weekend posting each airline's policies >> we want to make sure it's very clearly spelled out so that passengers know what they're getting when they buy a ticket. >> reporter: the airline industry insists carriers strive to provide the highest level of customer service and look forward to working with the d.o.t. to continue providing transparency for the traveling public with labor day, thanksgiving, and christmas travel ahead, mounting pressure to avoid a summer repeat. tom costello, nbc news, washington it was a tough week for many of the nation's big retailers. a growing number of them sounding alarms as inflation has so many americans struggling to make ends meet and altering the way they shop. here's maggie vespa. >> reporter: with inflation's grip on american wallets holding strong new numbers from a growing list of retail giants proves spending habits are shifting

what have you cut back on again >> clothes, shoes, a lot of make-up >> now it's just like, okay, do i really need these -- you know, do the kids really these sweets >> reporter: department store kohl's saying it will take a hit this year, blaming a drop in demand for clothes and nonessentials. this as target reported a staggering 90% drop in second quarter profits compared to a year ago. and best buy recently announced in-store job cuts nationwide after a summer sales slump >> everything becomes about do i really need this >> reporter: the retail red flags waving alongside new federal data showing between june and july spending remained stagnant, consumers putting savings from falling gas prices now down 21% since june toward essentials like food >> everything here is store brand. >> reporter: one place americans aren't spending their extra savings car dealerships. and the reason, owners say look at all these empty spots. how is your inventory looking right now compared to normal times? t half >> reporter: staff at

chicago area continental toyota blame a drop in car sales on the chip shortage and other supply chain issues strangling production. some customers waiting eight to ten months for the cars they want >> they come in thinking that we have the hybrid vehicles readily available and we don't i've never seen anything like this >> reporter: experts now increasingly optimistic that the fed's move to raise interest rates could mean inflation peaked earlier this summer. >> we are starting to see some relief in the inflation pressures, certainly for gas. so does seem like there's some hope on the horizon. >> reporter: that hope coinciding with back to school season and the good news for families is that major retailers are rolling out big discounts to try and boost sales. lester >> maggie vespa in chicago tonight, thank you. in 60 seconds, two shark attacks on the same beach on the same day. and the desperate search for that 16-year-old girl missing for two weeks now in northern california, the specialized team now joining the effort

back now with not one but two shark attacks at south carolina's most popular beach. authorities say a grandmother was bitten while swimming with her grandson at myrtle beach on monday. that same day about a mile away a second swimmer was attacked both victims survived. police say they can't tell if the attacks are related. also tonight, the desperate search for a missing teen in california after two weeks authorities haven't found a trace. now her family is turning to volunteer divers who have spotted clues others have missed in the past here's erin mclaughlin >> reporter: it's been 14 days since kiely rodni went missing following a late night party at a campground in truckee, california >> i just want her to come back and be okay. >> reporter: her disappearance triggering a massive search authorities scouring the surrounding area for any sign of the 16-year-old or her car and releasing surveillance images of kiely in the hours before her disappearance. and yet authorities

appear no closer to finding her. this week announcing they're scaling back the search >> we've had over like 9,000 man hours into searching, which is pretty astronomical. our biggest problem is where do we go and how do we keep sustaining this >> reporter: desperate for answers kiely's extended family reached out to a group of volunteer scuba diving sleuths to help >> all of the agents, sheriffs, and detectives i've spoken with are completely baffled. >> reporter: earlier this year nbc exclusively profiled a group adventures with purpose when they helped a family find their missing mom. >> it is a kia >> reporter: specializing in cold cases of people and their vehicles gone missing under water, on saturday they'll start working with local authorities to search for kiely >> almost everyone we find is in areas other agencies have already searched >> what is it about your technology that sets you apart >> it's the ability to manipulate it the way

we do. >> reporter: tonight volunteer sleuths doing what they can to keep this case from going cold erin mclaughlin, nbc news there's more ahead tonight, including our investigation into gun tracing. we look at the outdated system and how it's impacting solving crimes next.

we turn now to our nbc news investigation. as shootings soar nationwide we found it now takes the atf about two weeks to perform routine gun traces stephanie gosk now on

the red tape that has agents struggling to keep up. >> reporter: the streets in louisville are under fire during the height of the pandemic nearly two shootings every day. >> our focus is very singular, and that is to get illegal guns off the street >> there are so many guns >> reporter: erika shields and other police chiefs like her rely on the atf to trace guns used in crimes, but that's when she says federal law gets in the way. >> the agency is purposely being obstructed from operating at the level that they can. it's very frustrating. we're dealing with homicides. >> reporter: at the atf tracing facility in martinsburg, west virginia, we got a close look at the system that's slowing things down. the boxes that are lined up on this wall, on this wall, on that wall they're filled with documents that haven't been scanned yet, right >> that's correct. >> reporter: gun records that have not been scanned into your system >> that's correct. >> reporter: gun records from dealers that have gone out of

business so many they spill outside into shipping containers >> now we're up to 40, each one contains an additional 1,500 to 2,000 boxes of records. >> reporter: guns sales have to be recorded but there's no law to digitize them you've got people sifting through. it's like dropping into 1985 here doesn't it feel like that at times? >> it can. it can it can feel a little old school. >> reporter: but the atf isn't just drowning in paper records. it must also follow a 1986 law written to scale back gun control in this country. >> what we're specifically prohibited from doing under the law is establishing any sort of database of the names of gun owners in the united states. >> reporter: in other words, there's no way to enter a serial number and search for the owner. >> i need to speak to someone who can help me with an urgent firearm trace. >> reporter: the atf can follow a gun from manufacturer to point of sale, but if the dealer is out of business -- and that's nearly half of all

traces -- atf workers have to scroll through records one by one without knowing when exactly the gun was bought >> try to get the month time frame if you cannot find it you should span it out to a year. >> reporter: urgent gun traces after a mass shooting take roughly 24 hours but a routine trace can take up to two weeks. do you need more people >> sure. >> do you need better computers? do you need more money? >> those are things that would improve the trace time >> reporter: others say the decades old system needs to be thrown out >> it's absurd, and unfortunately the rule as it is today i designed to stop them from doing their jobs. >> it is outrageous, and i blame the congress >> reporter: senators leahy and gillibrand sponsored legislation to automate the process but the bill went nowhere in a statement senator ted cruz said it would undermine the rights of law-abiding citizens by creating a national gun registry. the atf is simply following the law. this is document scanning just about as fast as it can go, and they say they average 250,000 records scanned in a single day, but if they stopped getting gun

records today it would take more than a year to clear out the backlog. which is why chief shields is frustrated. >> you think this is appropriate to do to the atf? then don't tell me you're pro-law enforcement. you are standing there giving all of us who are on the front lines the middle finger. >> reporter: unless congress can agree a fix is needed, this is how tracing a gun will have to be done. stephanie gosk, nbc news, martinsburg, west virginia. and up next for us tonight, a musical mission of hope and freedom "inspiring america.

they have not been silenced by war. an orchestra of ukrainian musicians finishing their u.s. tour this weekend. here's andrea mitchell with tonight's "inspiring america." ♪ >> reporter: on this stage these artists aren't just making music. ♪ they're on a mission >> i truly believe that we are defending our ukrainian culture here >> reporter: in the shadow of war 74 performers have come together to form the ukrainian freedom orchestra. ♪ it's a mix of refugees from ukraine and those with ukrainian heritage >> music is something that expresses human emotion that no language can >> reporter: led by conductor carrie lynn wilson the group on tour bringing the

music of their homeland to some of the biggest stages in the world. they call themselves artists of resistance. >> we're on a mission. we're on a mission to fight on the culture front for ukraine. and what better way to hold our instruments instead of our weapons? >> reporter: he is of fighting age but got special permission to leave ukraine to go on the summer tour with the orchestra. back home in kyiv his street has been pummelled by russian rockets. can art survive in the midst of war? >> no choice it has -- it must survive. >> reporter: this week the orchestra arrived in the u.s., performing outside lincoln center in new york city. ♪ as night fell the orchestra played their final piece. an arrangement of the ukrainian national anthem, hoping to send a message through their music. ukraine won't be easily silenced. andrea mitchell, nbc news, new york and that is "nightly news" for

this friday. thank you for watching, everyone i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night ♪ ♪ ♪♪ say you're leavin' on a seven thirty train and that you're headin' ♪

♪ out to hollywood ♪ ♪ boy you been givin' me that line so many times it kinda gets like ♪ ♪ feelin' bad looks good ♪ ♪ that kinda loving ♪ ♪ sends a man right to his grave ♪ ♪ i go crazy crazy baby i go crazy ♪ ♪ what can i do honey ♪ ♪ i feel like the color blue ♪ ♪ i'm losing my mind ♪ ♪ oh cause i'm going crazy ♪

♪ crazy crazy crazy for you baby ♪ ♪ you turn it on then your gone ♪ ♪ yeah you drive me ♪ ♪ crazy crazy crazy for you baby ♪♪ [cheers and applause] >> kelly: welcome to "the kelly clarkson show"! give it up for my band y'all with some aerosmith! we have a lot in, thank you so much! we are still going with no in studio audience out of an abundance of caution, but we have several people in the house he styled them from around the country. sue in boston asked to hear

"crazy," so what's your connection? >> hey, kelly, it means a lot to me for a lot of reasons. first of all i love the lyrics, the video, i love the harmonica in that song, but mostly i have a connection to the word crazy, because i am a little crazy, i am a crazy aerosmith fan, even have a dream on tattoo, probably 30 or more aerosmith concerts and another one at fenway park this year i'm so excited. and your version of that song was just awesome. >> kelly: oh, my gosh, one of my favorite concerts of all time was them in vegas and i saw them at the end where they go to the stage, it was so insane. it was crazy. he had the fan. i loved all of it. and crazy people are the fun people, so that's awesome. normal is boring. so thank you so much, sue. we have a packed hour ahead of us from the hit cbs series "ghosts" we have rose mcver

stopping by. we will kick it off with our first guest who has been in some good ones "melrose place" "charmed" in a show i love so much, and it may be insured and don't make mentioned every time she is introduced. so "who's the boss?," who did not want to be sam? just saying. but her new show is called "brazen" on netflix. to say hello alyssa milano! [cheers and applause] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ oh, my gosh, are you one of those people, because every time i mention, people "since u been gone" or "stronger, does everybody bring up "who's the boss?"? >> alyssa: yes, but i think it's great. to be on a show that resonated and people still -- >> kelly: that's me with songs, i'm like i don't care, cool. it just means it was successful. i did want to be sam, and my

sister, her name is spelled exactly the same as years, but her name is aleesa, so her whole life she gave up because of you. y'all are the same age, she was like i just give up. no one is ever going to know how to say my name. i think my mom screwed her on that one. but i love your name, but every time i see it i want to say aleesa. >> alyssa: you can call me anything. >> kelly: i just mentioned a few shows you are on, but i learned you had like a music career when you were younger? >> alyssa: i did in japan. i did all of the things. i don't do all of the things now. but "commando" was on television in japan and i did this interview and they asked how it started and i was like oh, i started on broadway to play annie, and all of a sudden -- >> kelly: i did not know that. >> alyssa: i'm seven years old, my daughter's age when i started. >> kelly: i have a 7-year-old, can you imagine her doing that?

actually my daughter loves -- any time the show is on, we are watching "encanto," do you watch it at your house? >> alyssa: of course. >> kelly: she does the song and dance. and i'm like we want to watch the show. but all right. >> alyssa: my daughter is a late bloomer performer, she does this thing where she gets dressed and she has an incredible sense of style. it's like fearless. and she will just walk by the windows and just kind of like check herself out and her reflection. >> kelly: oh, my god, so gorgeous, look at that hair. >> alyssa: her hair is insane and she has green eyes, so she looks like sam, and i'm like, if sam had green eyes. it's beyond that is a great coldplay song, just saying, it's really good. is it true that you chose your daughter's birthday to be on beyonce's birthday? because i love that. she is a powerful woman. >> alyssa: i did not choose, my best friend actually chose.

so bella came five weeks early, she was 7 pounds, five weeks early, so there was no more room, she was like i'm coming out. and so -- >> kelly: this is foreshadowing by the way. >> alyssa: exactly, i was in labor and nobody believed i was in labor. because it was so early, but let me go to the hospital and the doctor says we will hook you up to the fetal monitor and he was like there was a big contraction, are you okay? we are probably going to take her tonight, or we can try to wait and see if the contractions go away. and my best friend is in the corner and he is on the phone and he is like, you know, let's wait, let's wait a little bit. he googled birthdays and was like, you know what, we are going to wait until after midnight, because i want her to have -- >> kelly: